Many individuals report that coronavirus has a negative impact on their mood. The CDC states that recovery time from COVID-19 varies by individual, but many patients feel well within a few days or weeks.
The CDC gives information on what to do if you have a Post-COVID Conditions or Long-Covid and are experiencing sadness or low mood. The health agency warns that being sick might have an impact on your mental health.
People with severe COVID-19 symptoms usually need to be treated in a hospital’s intensive care unit, where machines like ventilators help them breathe. Simply surviving this experience increases the risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, or anxiety in the future.
It is impossible to anticipate the long-term impacts of the new virus, therefore scientists are looking into the long-term effects of related viruses, such as SARS-COV-2.
Many patients who recovered from SARS developed chronic fatigue syndrome, a complex illness marked by intense weariness that worsens with physical or mental exertion but does not better with rest. People who have had COVID-19 may be in the same boat.
Signs and symptoms of low mood, according to the British Health Agency, NHS, include:
- Sadness
- Feeling anxious or panicky
- Worry
- Tiredness
- Low self-esteem
- Frustration
- Anger
- Feelings of hopelessness
“If you haven’t been able to do the activities you would usually do, this can have a big impact on your mood as well,” the health organization says.
“If negative feelings don’t go away, are too much for you to cope with, or are stopping you from carrying on with your normal life, you may need to make some changes and get some extra support,” it adds.
“If you experience depression symptoms most of the day, every day, for more than two weeks, you should visit your GP.”
Long-term symptoms do not appear to be tied to how sick you are when you initially receive COVID-19, according to the health organization, since “people who had mild symptoms at first can still have long-term problems.”
If you’re having long-term Covid symptoms, talk to your doctor. They may recommend tests to determine how long Covid has been affecting you and how to treat it. It’s also possible that your symptoms are due to anything else.
The Mayo Clinic says that there are a number of other common signs and symptoms that last for a long time.
These include:
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Cough
- Chest pain
- Memory, concentration or sleep problems
- Muscle pain or headache
- Fast or pounding heartbeat
- Loss of smell or taste
- Fever
- Dizziness when you stand
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